Iowa Comedy Festival
Encyclopedia
The Iowa Comedy Festival is a three-day comedy festival
that takes place in downtown Des Moines
. The first festival was organized by producers and Iowa
comedian
s Joel Fry and Jerad Cherniss.
Over 50 different comedians performed in the event, which consisted of seven shows over five nights.
Wednesday, October 13
The festival will kick off with a "Best of the Midwest" showcase featuring all non-Iowa natives as performers. Fifteen comedians will be allowed seven minutes apiece in front of a large audience that includes comedy bookers, agents, and club owners from around the Midwest. The show will begin at 7pm.
Following the "Best of the Midwest" showcase, a "Kernels" new-talent showcase featuring all-Iowa comedians will begin. This will take place in the same venue as the "Best of the Midwest" showcase.
Thursday, October 14
The second annual Court Center Comedy Competition finals will be the sole event on Day Two of the festival. Ten finalists will perform at People's Court in downtown Des Moines in front of an audience of hundreds, including five judge
s. On the line is a winner-take-all grand prize of $1000, provided by Court Avenue Restaurant and Brewery. The top three finalists will perform in the Grand Finale Showcase on Saturday, October 16 at 9:30pm. Those three will be opening for star headliner Jake Johannsen
that night. The Court Center Comedy Competition will begin at 8:30pm.
Friday, October 15
Shows with all-Iowa stand up comedy talent will be going on at 7pm and 9:30pm. The 9:30pm show will be held at the House of Bricks.
Saturday, October 16
An all-Iowa show will be hosted at 7pm, with the Grand Finale Showcase at 9:30pm under the title "The Iowa Comedy Festival Presents Jake Johannsen." Johannsen, a native Iowan, will be performing at People's Court and will be preceded by the top three finalists from the Court Center Comedy Competition. Johannsen will be doing an hour-long set.
s RooftopComedy.com and Comedy.com.
Comedy festival
A comedy festival is a celebration of comedy with many shows, venues, comedy performers and is held over a specific block of time...
that takes place in downtown Des Moines
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
. The first festival was organized by producers and Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
s Joel Fry and Jerad Cherniss.
Over 50 different comedians performed in the event, which consisted of seven shows over five nights.
Wednesday, October 13
The festival will kick off with a "Best of the Midwest" showcase featuring all non-Iowa natives as performers. Fifteen comedians will be allowed seven minutes apiece in front of a large audience that includes comedy bookers, agents, and club owners from around the Midwest. The show will begin at 7pm.
Following the "Best of the Midwest" showcase, a "Kernels" new-talent showcase featuring all-Iowa comedians will begin. This will take place in the same venue as the "Best of the Midwest" showcase.
Thursday, October 14
The second annual Court Center Comedy Competition finals will be the sole event on Day Two of the festival. Ten finalists will perform at People's Court in downtown Des Moines in front of an audience of hundreds, including five judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
s. On the line is a winner-take-all grand prize of $1000, provided by Court Avenue Restaurant and Brewery. The top three finalists will perform in the Grand Finale Showcase on Saturday, October 16 at 9:30pm. Those three will be opening for star headliner Jake Johannsen
Jake Johannsen
Jake Johannsen is an American comedian.Johannsen attended Iowa State University in the early 1980s, originally majoring in veterinary medicine, and then later changing to chemical engineering. He left after three years in college and relocated to San Francisco, California in order to pursue a...
that night. The Court Center Comedy Competition will begin at 8:30pm.
Friday, October 15
Shows with all-Iowa stand up comedy talent will be going on at 7pm and 9:30pm. The 9:30pm show will be held at the House of Bricks.
Saturday, October 16
An all-Iowa show will be hosted at 7pm, with the Grand Finale Showcase at 9:30pm under the title "The Iowa Comedy Festival Presents Jake Johannsen." Johannsen, a native Iowan, will be performing at People's Court and will be preceded by the top three finalists from the Court Center Comedy Competition. Johannsen will be doing an hour-long set.
National Attention
The Iowa Comedy Festival has had feature articles on PunchlineMagazine.com and has partnered with comedy websiteWebsite
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
s RooftopComedy.com and Comedy.com.